Automatic pistol



Patented Dec. Z3, 1924.

UNITED STATES WILLY MANN, 0F NEUNDORF, NEAR SUI-IL, GERMANY.

AUTOMATIC PISTOL.

Application led December 20, 1922.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, vWILLY MANN, a citizen of the German Republic, residing at Nenndorf, near Suhl, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Pistols, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a safety device for automatic hand lire arms adapted to influence or act upon the cartridge magazine housed in the butt.

The main object of my invention is to provide a fire-arm of the stated kind in which the cartridge magazine normally is kept locked in the magazine chamber by means of a lever and cannot be released er unlocked, until the breech-block is withdrawn from the barrel manually in order to withdraw the cartridge, if there is any in the barrel and render the same visible. By the withdrawal of the breech-block the liring mechanism is at the same time rendered inactive or locked.

In a fire arm made in accordance with the present invention the magazine is secured in its proper position in the magazine chamber by means of a lever or holder which is to be operated by a manually actua-ted safety member of a known kind. The said lever or holder is pivotally mounted on the pivot 0f said safety member, so that the user of the lire arm will be compelled to take care that the safety member is duly set in the safety position.

'Ihe aforesaid magazine holder is, as usual, subjected to the action of a spring and adapted'to engage in a groove or hole in the wall of the magazine, a special pawl being provided to control the holder. The said pawl is connected with the manually operable safety member and serves as the means for the actuation of the magazine holder in the usual manner whereby the top face thereof engages the sear in order to lock the same. The pawl is provided with a lateral extension for the purpose of actuating the magazine holder to release the magazine inserted in the fire-arm as soon as the breechblock has been retracted a certain distance, since the rear end of the pawl is adapted to engage in a groove in the breech-block.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an embodiment of the invention, to the details of construction of which the invention is not limited however;

Serial N0. 608,048.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of an automatic pistol with the parts in normal position ready for firing and with the barrel and trigger mechanism broken off; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 2*?. of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1, but with the breech-block partially retracted and a last cartridge partially extracted from the barrel by the extractor which is not shown; Figure t is a view similar to Figure 3, but showing the parts in the position they assume when the magazine is entirely removed from the piston; and Figure 5 is a top view showing the sear and the pawl as in Figure 4 with the breech-block omitted.

Before proceeding to describe the pistol which I have selected as best embodying my invention, I desire to have it understood that said pistol is not theonly embodiment of which the inventior` is capable, that a wide range of equivalents may be employed for the parts which I have illustrated and Will hereinafter describe, and that the phraseology which I have adopted is for the purpose of description and not of limitation eX- cept where the sense absolutely requires it.

The pistol comprises, generally speaking, three main parts, namely the butt, the barrel and the breech-block. The breech-block or breech-block carrier 2 is slidingly mounted on the butt l. 'The cartridge magazine 7 on being inserted in the butt 1 is caught by the nose 8 of the lever or holder 9 which,

' in the embodiment shown, engages in a hole l() of the rear wall of the magazine. The holder 9 is pivotally mounted on a' pin 11 and a spring 12 is provided for forcing nose 8 of the holder into the hole 10. The pin l1 also carries the manually operable safety member 14 and the pawl 18, which are rigidly connected or integral therewith.

The pawl 13 is provided with a lateral eX- tension or stud 26, Figure 5, adapted to engage in a recess 27 in the magazine holder 9, Figure Il. The breech-block 2 is provided with a longitudinal groove 29 and the free or rear end 31 of the pawl is adapted to engage in said groove, when the breech-block 2 has been retracted a certain distance on the butt 1.

The operation of the described construction is as follows l Assuming the pistol is ready for firing, a single cartridge 30 being in the barrel, as

the l shown in Figure 1, but the magazine is empty and it is intended to remove the magazine from the butt and tov refill it. To this end first the breech-block carrier 2 must be retracted a certain distance on the butt. In doing this the upward extending end 31 of the pawl is pressed down by the bottom face 32 of the breech-block, until the latter has been retracted far enough to permit the rear end of the pavvl 13 to engage in the longitudinal groove 29. If now the safety member or lever 14 is turned counter-clockwise so as to cause the free end 31 of the paWl 13 to engage in the groove 29, the turning movement of the lever 14 Will at the same time cause the lateral extension or stud 26 of the paWl 13 tol push forward the upper end of the magazine holder 9 which, as hereinbefore stated, is pivotally mounted on the pin 1.1, whereby the nose S of the holder is moved backward and thereby disengaged from the hole l1 of the magazine and the latter is released and can be removed from the butt.

By the retraction of the breech-block 2, as above mentioned, the cartridge 30 has been Withdrawn from the barrel by the extractornot shown in the drawing-and caused to assume the position shown in Figure 3. On the return movement of the breech-block the cartridge 30 Will be simultaneously returned to its former position shown in .Figure l. But if the breech-block 2 is still further retracted than shown in Figure 3, the cartridge 30 Will be ejected in the usual manner.

Supposing the magazine has been removed from its chamber in the butt, then the holder 9 Will assume, under the action of its spring 12, the position sho-Wn in Figure 4, so that its top face 28 engages and locks the sear 16. Thereby also the upper end of the holder 9 is caused to exert al pressure on the lateral extension or stud 26 of the pawl 13 so as to turn the latter clockwise into the position shown in Figure 4, that is to say, to remove the end 31 of the paivl from the longitudinal groove 29 of the breech-block in order to release the latter.

It Will be seen that an important feature of my invention resides in the fact that the magazine can not be released before or until the breech-block carrier has been manually retracted a certain portion of its travelling range, since the paWl 13 rigidly connected with the safety lever 14 cannot actuate the holder 9 locking the magazine; by means of its extension or stud 26; before or until said paWl is free to engage in the longitudinal groove 29 of the breech-block.

It must be noted that in the construction described provision may be made to cause the breech-block to act in a known manner upon the firing rod and to disengage the latter from the sear` when the breech is opened. In this Way the lire-arm is kept safe during all of the movements and operations required for the removal and the rc-insertion of the cartridge magazine.

`While I have described a specilic construction of automatic pistol, it is obvious that it can be modified Without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention; hence I do not Wish to limit myself to the structure herein shown and described, but- 1. In an automatic lire-arm, the combina tion lof a butt provided with a magazine chamber; a breech-block slidable on the butt; a lock for the magazine; and a safety de vice under ythe control of the breech-block normally :preventing release of the lock, but operable to effect such release When said block has been retracted.

2. In an automatic lire-arm. the combination of a butt provided with a magazine chamber; a breech-block slidable'on the butt; a llock for the magazine; and a safety device normally engaged and held `inoperative by the breech-block so as to prevent release of `the lock, but rendered operative to effect such release when said block has been retracted.

In an automatic fire-arm, the combination Yof a. butt provided with a magazine chamber; a 'breech-block slidable on the butt and having an unlocking depression in its under face; a lock for the magazine; and a safety-device normally engaged by said under face and thereby held inoperative so as to prevent release of the lock, but rendered operative to eifect such release when the bieeclrbloclr has been retracted to bring said depression into line With said device.

4. In an `automatic lire-arm, the combination of a 'butti provided with a, magazine chamber; a. breech-block slidable on the butt; a locking member normally engaged with the magazine to prevent its removal; and a safety device for disengaging said member connected with the same and normally held against operation by the breech-block; but rendered operative to effect such disengagement when said block has been retracted.

5. In an automatic lire-arm, the combination of a butt provided with a magazine Chamber; a breech-block slidable on the butt; a locking member normally engaged With the magazine to prevent its removal; a pawl connected with the locking member to disengage it from the magazine, said pawl being normally held against operation b v the breech-block, but rendered operative by the retraction of said block; and actuating means for the pawl including a linger piece disposed on the outside of the butt.

(3. In au automatic fire-arm, the combination of a. butt provided with a magazine chamber; a breech-block slidable on the butt; a locking member normally engaged with the magazine to prevent its removal; a pawl Wit connected with the locking member to disengage it from the magazine, said pawl being normally held against operation by the breech-block, but automatically rendered operative at a predetermined point in the rearward movement of said block; and actuating means for the pawl.

7. In an automatic fire-arm, the combination of a butt provided with a magazine chamber; a breech-block slidable on the butt and having an unlocking depression in its under face; a locking member normally engaged with the magazine t0 prevent its removal; a paWl connected with the locking member to disengage it from the magazine, said pawl being normally engaged by said under face and thereby held inoperative, but automatically rendered operative when said depression is brought into line with it during the retraction of the block; and means for actuating said pawl.

S. In an automatic lire-arm, the combination of a butt provided With a magazine chamber; a breech-block slidable on the butt; a locking member normally engaged with the magazine to prevent its removal; and a safety device connected to the locking member to eieet its disengagement and having a pivot pin Whereon said member is loosely mounted, said device being normally held against operation by the breech block, but rendered operative by the retraction of said block.

9. In an automatic fire-arm, the combination of a butt provided with a magazine chamber; a breech-block slidable on the butt; a locking member normally engaged with the magazine to prevent its removal; a pawl for releasing the locking member and having a pivot pin Whereon said member is loosely mounted, the pawl and locking member constituting companion parts, one of Which is provided with a projection for engagement in a recess in the other to cause their movement in unison, said paWl being normally held against ope-ration by the breech block, but rendered operative by the' retraction of said block; and means for actuating said pawl.

In testimony Whereoi1 I affix my signature.

WILLY MANN. 

